Why are premium tyres best? Simple. Research and development
We all like to spend our euros on the fun things in life, but let’s face it, buying tyres isn’t necessarily one of them, right? At Advance Pitstop we know that most people don’t set aside money for replacing their tyres. We also know that the huge array of choice, different price points, lists of benefits and – above all – the technical jargon are all often bewildering for many of our customers.
But it needn’t be that way – help is at hand. In this article we focus on one very important aspect of the process – explaining why when it comes to budget vs premium tyres the latter are the best car tyres and a much better choice, and why there’s such a difference in price.
The quality of premium tyres is down to research and development
If you’ve ever shopped around for tyres before you’ll know that premium tyre brands – like Continental – are more expensive. The first question we want to answer is why?
It’s down to the millions of euros that major tyre manufacturers continually invest in research and development, year after year. These premium tyre manufacturers are continuously innovating to keep up with the rapid rate of change that’s taking place in vehicle development. This means there’s an ever increasing demand from car makers for not just improved performance but driver safety too. And with the growing trend towards the development of autonomous vehicles, R&D expenditure will only become greater.
Take Continental Tyres. This very well known, popular premium tyre brand has test sites all over the world where each year more than 140,000 tyres are tested over a total distance of 200 million kilometres. This means that before a new tyre goes on sale its prototype forerunners have been through a process that involves over 67,000 separate tests, taking them around the equivalent of 500 times around the world!
So they do a lot of testing, so what?
Faced with a purchase you didn’t want to make in the first place, this is a fair question, but remember, your tyres are the only contact your car has with the road. Now your vehicle may well have all the latest safety features, but if the tyres are worn, or not of a sufficient quality, you and your passengers won’t be adequately protected.
Throughout the rigorous research and development process, tyre manufacturers like Continental fine-tune their rubber compound formulations, tyre tread patterns and tyre structures. This helps to ensure that their tyres are as perfect as possible for the different types of vehicles they’re designed for, the driving conditions they’ll be used in, the ever changeable Irish climate, and much, much more.
The upshot? Simple. Your car will grip much, much better in wet conditions, and brake quicker and safer when you need to most. Cheaper “budget” tyres – with their often lower-grade rubber compounds – can take as much as fourteen metres longer to stop in the wet weather conditions, from a speed of 50mph.
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to realise what can happen in that extra braking distance, whether it be on busy streets (with kids suddenly runing out into the road) or foggy, fast moving motorways (where the abilty to stop suddenly and safely is minimised) or while driving on any number of Irelands many winding country roads.
Continental Tyres’ AIBA – the tyre safety capital of the world
At Continental’s AIBA (Automated Indoor Braking Analyser) facility, tyre safety testing is taken to an unrivalled level. With its fully automated process, test vehicles are accelerated to speeds of up to 75 mph in the “Contidrom”. Based in Hanover, Germany, braking performance is tested on interchangeable road surfaces where a variety of weather conditions can be simulted, including black ice testing.
Testing at AIBA takes place all year round and the real-time results define product development, all in the quest to provide improved driver safety. This and more form the backbone of Continental’s Vision Zero safety intiative – their drive to achieve zero fatalities, zero injuries and zero accidents.
Fact: premium tyres will you cost less in the long-run
Sure, in the beginning you’ll pay a bit more for premium tyres that have been developed with all this investment in time, money and safety, but while the initial outlay is slightly higher it’s important to consider the significant safety benefits – through markedly improved stopping distances and performance in wet weather conditions – which premium tyres deliver.
And over time there’s also the financial benefits. With premium tyres, typically the rate of tyre wear is – thanks to the research and development process – significantly slower, when compared to budget tyres. That means less tyre changes, and a saving in the associated time, hassle and costs that buying new tyres require.
Speak with your local Advance Pitstop tyre professionals for advice and support
Ultimately, your choice of tyre will depend on the type of car you have, how often, where and how you drive it, as well as many other factors. This is why it makes sense to speak with your local Advance Pitstop tyre professionals and get expert advice. You can find your nearest Advance Pitstop branch at the top of this page.
Advance Pitstop – Caring for your car from the tyres up